General Eye news

Contact Lenses Could Improve Mood, New Study Suggests

A new study put together by contact lens manufacturer CooperVision shows that patients often associate contacts with positive emotions. Analysts claim contacts could have a greater positive impact on mental health than glasses.

Just over 420 vision patients took part in CooperVision’s analysis. About 220 of these study participants wore glasses and another 200 wore contacts.

According to this study, eight out of ten contact lens patients claimed contacts increased feelings of self-confidence and freedom. When asked how contacts made them feel the first time they tried them on, more than half expressed a feeling of exhilaration.

Many study participants who wore contacts argued that all eye doctors should offer patients the option of either eyeglasses or contacts. 65 percent of respondents said they were unlikely to recommend an optometrist if s/he didn’t offer spectacles and contact lenses.

CooperVision executives released all of this information at their recent Unlock The Potential gathering. In addition to hearing the statistical data, event attendees watched dozens of recorded interviews with study participants.

Dr. Kathy Dumbleton, who teaches at the UC Berkeley’s School of Optometry, also gave a special speech at this event. According to Dr. Dumbleton, silicone hydrogel contact lenses tend to offer patients the greatest emotional benefits.

CooperVision was founded in the late 1970s and is now a part of Cooper Companies, Inc. Today, CooperVision sells contacts to hundreds of countries and has manufacturing plants in the UK, USA, and Puerto Rico. Cooper Companies has its main headquarters in Pleasanton, California.

CooperVision’s Unlock The Potential gathering took place at London’s Rosewood Hotel near Covent Garden on June 20th.